If you've been diagnosed with the travel bug, but you're broke...
In this past year, I have spend time trying to be more conservative in my spending in order to accomplish some of my goals for next year. That meant the travel lover in me would feel disappointed all year round especially in comparison with last year (I had the birthday trip of my dreams in Spain). However, if you know me—you know that I will never accept misery. Hence the dawn of a new type of travel for me…. the mini trip.
Mini Trips are perfect because you can have a good time without sacrificing time off of work, you can keep it to a wide range of budget constraints and have a good time without jeopardizing your financial wellness. Of course, money spent is money spent, so this is not something I could do every weekend, but it is something that can be enjoyed monthly or every other month.
The first key to planning your perfect mini trip is determining 3-5 activities that make it a perfect trip for you. Based on your budget, start with 3 free, 3 cheap, 3 medium, and 3 pricier ideas of a dream activity. (Note: don’t bother choosing “expensive” things outside of your budget. It just hurts your own feelings. Choose expensive things at the upper limits of your budget so that you can find a way to squeeze it in)
Create a chart of these activities, for example this is mine below.
| Free | Cheap | Medium | Expensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Museums | Museums | Shopping | Shopping |
| Streaming | Cafe Visit | Movies | Spa/ Luxury Hotel |
| Sight Seeing (walk) | Brunch | Brunch | Event (concert, dinner cruise) |
| Library Visit | Bookstore visit | Foodie Tourism | Foodie Tourism |
| Community Event | Beach visit | Karaoke | __ |
After you create your chart, you can start establishing your budget for your trip. Once you have your budget you can start mix and matching the things on your list for a trip to scratch the travel itch.
For a budget of almost $0
I can’t in good conscience say you could plan a mini trip for $0 dollars because there are always expenses. To drive anywhere, you have to spend in gas. To eat treats, you can keep cost down by grocery shopping instead of eating out or ordering in but its still money spent. I try to plan a menu I can look forward too and try to buy smart so that it doesn’t impact my monthly budget. Either way these ideas are for those who have a positive mindset and perhaps a strong imagination. A vacation is partially a mentality.
Staycation
The key to a good staycation is to mentally transport yourself to vacation mindset. Even if you are flat broke, you can work with what you have to enjoy a good staycation. The first thing is to try to establish some distance between normal and “staycation”. Clean an area of your house and transform it for the vibes. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, add extra blankets, close the door, bring some drinks and snacks over to the area, whatever works for what you have planned.
For your staycation, you can tack on any free events or locations in your area to visit, like a free museum, the park, or the library. Make it special. Go to an area that you maybe haven’t visited in awhile that you love, or an area that you always wanted to visit but you didn’t have the time. You can also settle in at home, make it cozy, and do a themed movie marathon. You could rent from a variety of streaming services for as low as $2.99, watch on some sites (like YouTube) free with ads, or even check out your local thrift store or Walmart for $1-5 dollar movie bargains.
Daytrip
For a day trip on an (almost) $0 budget the key is to stay local, and choose FREE.99. Using the chart I made above, some activities I would do is visit the library in the area or see if there are any free events at the park or in the nice city neighborhoods I could check out. For any trips outside of the house, pack foods that travel well so you don’t spend money eating out. Also, never underestimate the power of sightseeing. Hopping in your car and looking at homes in the “rich” neighborhoods, especially during the holiday season can be stunning. Taking a scenic drive through the country side could be nice as well. Driving to a local park for a hike? That is also free. Find nice places you have always wanted to visit, or nice areas you may want to live in the future. Mindset plays a key role in successful vacationing, even when it is local. Explore your area as if you are a tourist, and you will get the most fulfilling vacation for (almost) $0.
House Sitting
If you have a friend that needs a house sitter, this is another way you can get a vacation in on a budget. Pack some groceries so you don’t spend extra on food, and explore their area with the enthusiasm of a tourist. The same rule of DayTripping for almost $0 apply here.
For a budget of $100- 200
Staycation
f you have a little more wiggle room on your budget it is easier to give yourself the “vacation feeling”. Take yourself out to eat at a restaurant you’ve been meaning to go to. Go to the see a movie you have been wanting to see. Go to a show, or see if there are any community events you would love to check out. Maybe your vacation would include thrifting, or grabbing the supplies to start a new crafty hobby. All of these could be done right at home, with the time you set aside as a vacation. You could check out museums, have a picnic, or host a small game night with friends. The guidelines of a staycation stay the same no matter the budget. Your goal is to make space for activities that help you relax and keep you in an exploratory vacation mood.
Day trip
With a larger budget, you can also do a road trip to see sights in another city. I advise you to keep it within a 3-hour drive so that you can travel without the stress of the next day on your shoulders. With the world of the internet, finding amazing sights, a novel food place, or a highly anticipated experience in the area is just a search away. You can keep costs down by prepping snacks and bringing a friend or two to split expenses with. For example, I live in the Indianapolis area, completely landlocked with no “true” beaches in sight. Every summer, a couple of friends and I pile into my SUV and drive three hours to Lake Michigan. We split gas, get sandwiches and snacks, and fill our cooler with cheap drinks. Someone always remembers a speaker, and with a good book or a sketch pad, I am set for an amazing day on the beach. You can do this and visit a mid-sized city near you. You can come back feeling “good tired” from the fatigue you get after a good trip.
Another way to spend your vacation budget would be a Spa Day Pass. If you get to a good spa, you can spend the entire day doing relaxing beauty treatments, basking in a peaceful ambiance, and fading in and out of sleep during a massage.
Overnighter (with partners in crime)
For an overnight trip, you gain the benefits of more time away and more time to explore, but it can get expensive quickly if you don’t do it right. Here are some tips. Choose your itinerary before you go. Travel with friends who are on the same page as you financially. Scour the internet for a good deal on accommodations. The last thing you want is to suffer less than clean or unsafe stays. When I search for deals on accommodations, I always start with Expedia to get a good idea of price ranges. However, if I am traveling with a larger group of friends, I check out an Airbnb too. For your trip plans, test the waters by searching the general prices of accommodations using Expedia.
In the weekend trip video, I traveled with my sister to a small town about 2 hours away.
Our price breakdown is as follows:
$68.89 ($137.77) Airbnb for one night split in half
$40 food
Free Museum visit
$20 thrifting
$10 used bookstore visit
$50 gas
Grand Total $188.89